He and 22 other children were officially adopted following a ceremony by Children's Protective Services in honor of National Adoption Day.

Robert and Sheila Lee said their new son, one of three children they adopted Friday, is very proud of his new name.

His middle name is extra special - all the boys in the Lee family have Robert as their middle name, after their father's first name. The couple has four older children.

The Lees have been foster parents to 7-year-old Jazmine, 2-year-old Kylie and Nico for nearly three years.

"We were very in love with them," Sheila said, adding they couldn't imagine the children growing up in the system and then having no permanent family when they get older.

Staci Gray / Staff

Mattie Rodriguez, 2, plays with a camera as she sits in her newly adopted father's , James Vera, lap Friday afternoon at the Central Jury Room.

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Added Robert, "We wanted to give them a family they need and deserve. Lots of love, happiness."

Many of the children adopted Friday have been waiting years for families, said Greg Cunningham, spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

But many more still wait.

Cunningham said there is a big need in the area for adoptive and foster parents.

Children awaiting adoption

 Lubbock: 163

 Region: 406

Children in foster care

 Lubbock: 706

 Region 2,208

 State: 34,275

More than 150 children in Lubbock and more than 400 on the South Plains are awaiting adoptive families, according to CPS.

Even more are in foster care - 706 in Lubbock and more than 4,000 in the region.

The majority of those children were taken out of their homes because of abuse or neglect.

The agency launched the "Why Not Me?" campaign this spring to address the chronic shortage of adoptive families. While the campaign has helped find many children "forever families," there is still a need.

"As a community, we need to take a responsibility for that - these are our kids," Cunningham said.

The process to adopt a child generally takes between six and 18 months and includes a home study, training sessions to learn more about abused and neglected children and a background check, among other things.

But the most important necessity is love, Cunningham said.

Basic Requirements to become adoptive or foster parents

 Be at least 21 years of age, finacially stable and a responsible mature adult.

 Share information regarding background and lifestyle.

 Provide relative and non-relative references.

 Agree to a home study, which includes visits with all household members.

 Allow staff to complete a criminal history background check and an abuse/neglect check on all adults in the household.

 Attend free training to learn about issues of abused and neglected children.

 To learn more about adoption and foster parenting, visit the Web site http://www.adoptchildren.org or call 762-2680